Closer Than You Think
by StickyRice
Summary: On the Eve of her 18th birthday, Nausicaä receives a visit from someone from her past who opens her eyes to someone in her future. A good friend helps mitigate the grief she feels at being forced into marriage.


Hey there! This is my very first Nausicaä story ever, so it may not be very good. I wrote it many years ago, and have since gone through and edited it. I corrected some grammar mistakes and added parts to make the story flow better, but it remains largely the same as it was when I first wrote it. Anyway, I don't own any of Miyazaki's stuff, so Studio Ghibli can't sue me. There. Now please enjoy my humble story. Thanks!

Shooting Stars

Nausicaä sighed as she lifted a brush to her hair. She slowly worked out the tangles while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She brushed until her hair was silky smooth and shone bright in the candlelight.

Today was the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Normally, this would have been an exciting event for Nausicaä, but old tradition called that she must choose a suitor on the eighteenth anniversary of her birth.

Now she was not short of suitors, that wasn't the problem. Princes from all over the Periphery, and even outside it, had asked for her hand in marriage. The problem was that Nausicaä didn't want to marry. Many of her suitors were caring and handsome, and the alliance between the Valley and another country would be beneficial, but she knew that none of them really loved her. To them she was just a princess, and object to be won and made their queen. She didn't want to be trapped in a marriage like that for the rest of her life.

Had her father been alive, she would have argued with them to let her pick her own husband, but she hadn't the heart to change the tradition without his consent. She felt as if it would be unspeakably rude to defy the wishes of a dead man. There was no honor in doing something like that.

"Nausicaä"

A voice from her door made her turn her head around, causing her ruby colored earrings to swing back and forth for a moment. Chikuku, a small boy who had been a great friend to her for some time now, stood in the doorway, his innocent, mischievous eyes twinkling.

"Mito wants you to come down soon."

"Thank you Chikuku, I'll be down in a minute." Nausicaä smiled. The small boy grinned at her and scampered back down the hallway.

The princess turned back to her dressing table and stood up. She gently picked up a necklace and fastened it around her throat. The necklace was made of jade beads carved into a flattened oval-like shape that was smooth and comforting to the touch. The center bead held a small diamond framed by gold and faceted so finely it sent hundreds of tiny reflections to dance about the room in the shifting radiance of the candlelight.

Nausicaä stepped back and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a brilliant white dress so vivid it seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. Her earrings were the same red Tiara River stones that she always wore. Thin white gloves ran up her arm to her elbow. She hated those gloves, but Mito had insisted that she wear them.

Nausicaä grasped the necklace in her hand. "Wish me luck, Mother." She said, and was out of the room and down the hallway quicker and loftier than a leaping Squirrel-Fox.

She made her way slowly down the spiral staircase to the room in which guests for the party would be arriving. She stood outside the large doorway looking in at the gathering crowd, then across the hall at the open balcony. Someone had propped the doors open to allow for some fresh air. The balcony was much more inviting. Mito wouldn't mind if she would stood out there for a little to see the last of the day's sunlight fade away over the hills.

She padded out onto the smooth stone balcony and leaned a little ways over the railing, taking in the pure splendor of her surroundings. The setting sun cast its waves over the evening sky, turning it brilliant shades of red and orange. The rays hit the clouds and saturated them with pink and purple hues and settled on their borders, lining them with thin ribbons of gold.

It was a brisk and chilly evening, and the impish wind danced through the air and swept tiny leaves along on its journey. It danced through her hair and whispered in her ears to her in a language that was rooted deep within her, but that she could not quite understand. Yet.

With all of the wonders of the evening to be enjoyed, Nausicaä was quite startled by the cool hand that she felt on her shoulder. Her heart jumped and left her uneasy and a little frightened. She turned around expecting to be lectured by Mito about not being tardy to her own party. Instead, she was staring up at the face of her old friend and mentor, who she had never expected to see again.

"Yupa sama!" Yupa smiled down at her through his thick mustache. He held out his arms to her.

"Nausicaä, I've missed you! How is my little girl?"

Nausicaä couldn't believe what she was seeing. She stood in shock for a long time, and finally ran into his arms, her eyes moist from oncoming tears.

"Oh Yupa sama! I missed you so much!" She leaned back to look at his face. "I-but you're-"

"-Shh, yes, I know. I came to wish you a happy birthday. I don't have long." Nausicaä buried her face in his heavy canvas jacket, breathing in his scent. He smelled like he always used to, like spices and soil, and that earthy, musty smell of the Fukai. She felt tears sliding down her face. She tried to hold them back, but before she knew it she was crying on his chest, just like she had when she was just a little girl.

"What's wrong, child?"

"Yupa sama, I don't want to get married! Mito's been so insistent. I'm so scared." Her last sentence was naught but a hoarse whisper.

"You poor thing. They've been pressuring you about your future…I thought I'd made sure of the fact that you were not to be rushed. There, there, it's alright." He stroked the back of her head when she cried harder. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her face.

"Nausicaä, where's that strong little girl I used to know? Everything will work out. You see if it doesn't."

Nausicaä felt the rough surface of his cape disappearing as he faded away.

"No! Yupa sama! Don't leave! I've lost everyone who loves me already. Please don't go!"

"Oh Nausicaä, don't think that. Everyone in this valley loves you with all their hearts."

"Yes, but they don't know me. They don't know who I really am!" Yupa wiped the tears from her eye with the fabric of his gloved hand.

"Nausicaä, true love is nearer than you think. You just have to look around to find it." With those last words, Yupa faded into the air, leaving Nausicaä standing alone on the balcony once again.

The Princess shook herself back into reality and dried her eyes. She took one last look at the sunset, and stepped back into the hallway.

It had gotten considerably darker in the hall, so the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling had been lit. The Great hall was now filled with people. Some Nausicaä knew, some she didn't. She felt the soft, uneasy tickle of growing butterflies in her stomach. She had never liked crowds.

She walked over to the large table where the refreshments had been set out. Plates of food covered the enormous table, presented in every way one could think of. Inari and all sorts of maki had been artfully arranged on silver platters and dishes of tempura and miso soup were piled all along the table. A large graceful swan that had been carved and constructed entirely of fruit slices sat proudly at the centerpiece.

"Nausicaä!" Nausicaä turned in the direction of the voice calling her name. A few seconds passed before the Queen Regent Kushana appeared through the crowd of people.

"Kushana! I thought you weren't coming!"

The Queen smiled.

"I wasn't. I just barely got the chance to come. I can't stay long. Kurotowa had to cancel a meeting. He was unusually lenient to me today." Nausicaä laughed. Ever since Kushana had recognized Kurotowa's affections, the commander had been much more generous on Nausicaä's behalf. It was funny the way love changed people.

"Anyway, I should probably get going soon. I just wanted to see you again and wish you a happy birthday." Kushana walked up to Nausicaä and hugged her briefly. It was a brisk hug, one given by a woman who was obviously not entirely comfortable with physical contact, but Nausicaä knew Kushana meant it genuinely. The Queen turned back towards the door and strode out of the room. At the doorway, she stopped and looked back at Nausicaä. For the first time in a long while, Kushana smiled openly, and waved at her friend. Nausicaä smiled too and waved back. As she watched the Queen disappear through the doors, she felt grateful to have gotten to know Kushana a little better.

Nausicaä turned towards the hall fireplace and shuffled across the thick red rug that had been laid over the pink and white marble floor. The soft fibers tickled her feet as she walked.

She hoped to make it to the hearth without being stopped multiple times by people wanting to wish her well. She was not successful. She was stopped about half a dozen times by people wishing her fortune with her wedding preparations and telling her what a good queen she was going to be. None of this helped lighten her mood at all.

She finally made it to the fireplace and was soothed a little by the wonder of it all. An enormous fire blazed a few feet taller than her even when she stood on her toes. Its heat spread through the entire room, warming it so sufficiently that no other heat source was needed to keep the grand hall at a decent temperature. Splashes of orange and yellow reflected off the stone hearth, creating a sense of motion and power where she stood. The hearth itself was beautiful too. The frame was carved in the same intricate design as the doorway into the hall. Images of curling grapevines and dancing animals had been painstakingly carved into the wood with utmost care. Nausicaä used to sit by this hearth and run her fingers along the carvings, tracing the depressions and rough patterns in the quite reverence of which only a young child is capable. She did this now, still upset about the previous comments from her guests.

"Nausicaä! There you are! I've been looking for you." Nausicaä closed her eyes, the little comfort she had found sinking away from her as yet another eager guest came over to congratulate her. Setting her jaw, she turned around to face her pursuer. She met the gaze of a tall young man approaching quickly.

He walked over to the hearth and stood next to her. His charcoal black hair caught the oranges of the fire as they danced across his face. His eyes reflected the fire as well. Her heart caught in her throat as he turned to look at her. His eyes were a warm shade of chocolate brown that showed kindness and empathy within their depths. Never before had she seen someone this handsome. And yet she had. Every day.

"Asbel?" She asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, it's me. Didn't recognize me, huh? I didn't either when I saw myself in these clothes."

Nausicaä followed his gaze to see that he was wearing a matching silk white suit trimmed with gold along the edges. His shoes were tougher fabric of the same color. They looked as if the wearer could walk without making any sound at all. She smiled. She would have liked to have shoes like that of her own.

"You look lovely tonight, Nausicaä."

Nausicaä smiled, the faintest tinges of a blush dusting her cheeks.

"Thank you Asbel. I haven't worn a dress for ages now. I didn't think I still looked any good in them."

Asbel reached over to her and brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear.

"Don't be ridiculous. You look wonderful in anything you wear."

Nausicaä's blush spread until her cheeks were bright pink. She prayed that it only looked like reflections from the fire on her face.

"Hey, I have something that I want to show you. Come with me." Asbel took her hand and led her out of the bright and noisy hall into the dark corridor. Nausicaä's heart fluttered in her chest from the spontaneity of the occasion. She was glad to be out of the hall and away from all the people. She felt calmer and more at ease as she was plunged into the inviting darkness of the hallway.

Asbel led her up a set of spiral stairs that led out to the castle-top courtyard. It had gotten warmer since the late afternoon and a sweet wind blew across the trees. Nausicaä felt more at ease out in the open air.

They entered the opposite tower and climbed up more stairs. The spiral staircases in this castle had always bothered Nausicaä. She was always afraid that she would trip. Her father had told her once not to complain, that they had much wider steps than most other castles did.

She looked over at her companion and began to wonder where he was taking her. There was not much in this tower that would be of interest. Just a few guest rooms and an old observatory at the top. She assumed he must be headed to the observatory.

On their way up the stairs they passed a small window that let in a slice of moonlight to illuminate the stairwell. The moon hung in the center in its crescent form. On their way past, Nausicaä thought she could just make out the constellation that had been her favorite as a child. Its name in the old language, she remembered, was _Uma no Uyoku_, or _Tenba_.

Her guess was right. Asbel stopped at the head of the stairs and pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the observatory. Nausicaä followed Asbel into the room and looked around. She remembered this place from her childhood. On the rare occasions when both of her parents were not distracted with other things, the three of them would come up here and watch the stars come out to shine brightly down upon the valley.

Half of the room was a dome of glass that let the moonlight pour in. This allowed for stargazing while still being able to remain warm inside on cold winter nights. The other half was an immense bookshelf lined with ancient books that were almost impossible to lift. Although she couldn't read them, Nausicaä used to enjoy leafing through their depths and pretending to understand everything they said. She would nod approvingly at an occasional line, and shake her head in disgust at others. That and the way she sneezed from the dust every time she turned a page always made her parents laugh. Nausicaä ran her finger along the spines of the many books, remembering all those bittersweet events with a sorrowful heart.

"Nausicaä, hurry! It's starting!"

Nausicaä turned her head to where Asbel stood, beckoning violently for her to follow. He pushed open the glass doors that led out onto the observatory balcony just like the ones outside the grand hall. A plain marble bench stood against the black railing, and the highest branches of a camphor tree peeked up above the balcony. Nausicaä looked around for what Asbel had been so excited about, and then noticed a few sparks of light coming from the tree branches. Gradually, small, fuzzy, sphere-shaped lights began to float down toward the balcony. Their colors ranged from the pink of rose petals to the blue of a robin's eggshell to the oranges and reds of the sunset. The particles of light floated down towards her like flakes of snow and clung to her dress and hair. They reminded her of the snow-like spores that she had seen the bread mold trees release on her afternoon walks through the Sea of Corruption.

Nausicaä was so thrilled by this colorful display that she began to twirl around the balcony, leaving behind a wake of air on which the little lights skipped and danced on along with her. Every time one touched her it felt like a breath of warm air on her skin. They danced for joy on the invisible nighttime air drafts and leapt out of her way as she twirled around the balcony.

"I was working on the gunship late one night when I noticed some of these lights come floating down past the hangar. I was curious what they were, so I followed their path up to here."

Nausicaä turned to Asbel as he spoke. The lights were clinging to him too. They had nestled into his hair, blinking and twinkling in their soft colors upon his head, making his hair glow.

"They seem to be particularly attracted to human life." Asbel observed, eyeing the lights in his hair.

Nausicaä laughed and threw her arms around him. She never would have done a thing like that had she had any kind of common sense left, but she was so swept up with the joy of the night that it didn't matter much to her anymore.

"Asbel, thank you so much! This is the best gift I've ever gotten." Asbel hugged her tightly, laughing.

"You're very welcome! I knew you'd love it."

Nausicaä pulled back and smiled at him. She grabbed a hold of his hands and swung him around with her.

"Come on Asbel, dance with me!" Asbel's eyes widened and he stumbled at first, but was soon caught up in the thrill as well and danced joyously with his friend amidst the falling lights. They laughed and twirled for quite some time, with more and more lights falling around them and settling on the stone floor, getting kicked up whenever the dancing couple came near them.

When the two grew tired, they sat down on the marble bench and watched the last of the light spirits fall to the ground. The whole balcony, them included, glowed with a softly pulsing light beneath the inky black sky.

Nausicaä leaned her head on Asbel's shoulder and smiled.

"I'm exhausted! I haven't danced like that in ages."

Asbel chuckled.

"Me either. Actually, I don't think I _ever _have!"

"Asbel?" Nausicaä said softly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" Asbel asked, tilting his head to look at the girl.

"For everything. For the whole evening." She blushed, "No one's ever called me beautiful before." Asbel turned to look at her.

"Surely they have."

"No. I've been wonderful, and strong, but never beautiful."

"Not even your mother?" Abel seemed surprised.

"Not even Mother."

"Well let me tell you something." Asbel touched his forehead to hers. "They must have been blind. You are the most beautiful person I've ever met."

Nausicaä blushed. She looked up at him and smiled. He leaned down towards her and their lips met in a gentle kiss. Nausicaä's heartbeat raced back up to the speed it had been at when she'd first seen him that evening. She had never guessed that one could feel so much in a kiss.

They broke apart and Nausicaä giggled.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"It's all right. I didn't mind in the least." Asbel said as he pulled her into his arms. Though he sounded calm, there was a gentle waver in his voice that told Nausicaä he was just as nervous as she was. She laid her head on his chest and smiled as she listened to the sound of his racing heart.

The two of them sat there in each other's arms for a long time, enjoying the companionship each provided for the other. After a while, the silence was broken as the first lilting notes of a sweet melody drifted up from the main hall several floors below. The music was muted, but clear enough for Nausicaä to recognize it at once.

"That song was one my mother had composed for me when I was born. It's called 'Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä'."

"It's a beautiful song." Asbel said. Nausicaä smiled.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

The young couple sat together, serenaded by the whimsical melody. Asbel reached one hand up to wrap around Nausicaä's shoulders. She smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Nausicaä sighed deeply. Soon she would have to return to the ballroom and all her usual worries and obligations would come flooding back to her, but for now she was free of all that. Now she was safe, protected by the warm embrace of her old friend and comforted by his reassuring presence. There was a time for worrying, Nausicaä thought as she rested her cheek against the silky fabric of Asbel's shirt, and that time was not now.

Way up high, amidst the dying light if the tree spirits, if one looked hard enough, they might have been able to see an old man atop the branches of the camphor tree, clothed in a thick brown cape and smiling behind his thick mustache.

Okay, some notes:

For those of you that don't know, a camphor tree is a coniferous tree native to Eastern Asia. It has been used in a few of Miyazaki's films, so I thought it would be appropriate to have it harbor the light spirits in my story.

The constellation that Nausicaä recognized in my story was called Uma no Uyoku, which I believe translates literally as horse of wings, also, the word Tenba is Japanese for Pegasus.

For those of you who are wondering, the title 'Shooting Stars' comes from another part in the original story that I edited out. The story now has nothing to do wit shooting stars, but I kept the title because I liked it.

I apologize if I have made any mistakes. If you spot one, please tell me and I will fix it right away. Anyway, let me know what you think of my story. I'm rather proud of it myself. Thanks for reading!


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